Powdered and granulated products are sometimes sold to consumers in relatively large, bulk containers. In order for the consumer to make use of the product, it is frequently necessary or desirable for a specific quantity of the product to be measured and dispensed from the container. An example of such a product for which this would be necessary are dietary supplements. In order to facilitate measuring and dispensing by the consumer, producers frequently include a measuring scoop in the container. In most cases the measuring scoop provided is made of plastic and is relatively small relative to the interior space of the container.
During shipment of the product, the container is continually moved, jostled, and handled with various degrees of care. All of this movement promotes settling of the contents.
Typically, this movement and the resulting settling can result in the measuring scoop being buried to at least some degree in the powdered or granulated material within the container. Particularly when the container is first opened by the consumer—when the container is full—this makes finding the scoop difficult. The consumer must dig through the material to try to find the scoop. This is messy and unsanitary.
There are prior art products that incorporate a means to mount a scoop near the open top of a container. However, these products require either separate structures distinct from the rest of the container or fairly elaborate molds.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide an apparatus that ensures appropriate placement of a measuring scoop in an accessible location within a container while being easily integrated into the overall container structure.